


Just One Tiny Problem

by MiniSnowAngel (ShadowRese)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Thumbelina Fusion, Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M, RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 17:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21461554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowRese/pseuds/MiniSnowAngel
Summary: “What the fuck? Planet of unknown origin? How much worse can this mission get?”Minseok was not actually expecting an answer, so when his computer did begin speaking, he was momentarily caught off guard.“Further analysis does reveal carbon based lifeforms inhabit your current host planet. Extremely large lifeforms, Captain.” The screen in front of him flickered once, and the star charts winked out, before being replaced by the view of one immense, looming, curious, brown eye.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44
Collections: ExOnce Upon A Time: Round II





	Just One Tiny Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt T04 - retelling of Thumbelina
> 
> I realize this is worlds away from the original tale. I hope you’re happy with it, prompter!

Minseok knew there was something wrong as soon as he came to, the klaxon blaring loudly, like the worst instrumental from the pits of Hell. He tried to remember his training, but his brain was in a fog, thick with the various catatonics his body was pumped with to keep him unconscious for the journey. Feeling along the inside of the pod, at last he located the keypad down by his left thigh, and his stiff jointed fingers punched in the sequence of numbers to open the pod hatch and let him out.

This wasn’t supposed to be happening. The jump was supposed to be safe, having been tested so many times before. At least that’s what all the reports he’d read told him. He was going to fucking kill Byun Baekhyun when he made it back to the lab. _ If _ he ever made it back, that was.

After an eternity, his murderous thoughts were interrupted as the pod began to open, seals giving way and the recycled oxygen hissing as it filled the small cryo tank Minseok had been slumbering peacefully in for the last few weeks. On legs weak from disuse, Minseok stumbled from his chamber and promptly emptied the meager contents of his stomach onto the otherwise sterile floor. The waking up process was an ordeal even under the best conditions. Under such duress, it was a fucking nightmare.

His bare feet were freezing, and Minseok had to fight back a wave of shivers as he tried to get his bearings. Looking to the left, he located his tiny ship’s command board and lurched in that direction. If he could just figure out where he was, then maybe he could figure out how to get back home. 

Violently, Minseok slapped at the console, and the screen in front of his face lit up as it powered itself back to life. He typed in his access codes, and a few seconds later the ship descended into blessed silence, the alarms dying off mid-warble. 

The quiet didn’t last long, and soon Minseok was greeted by the voice of his beloved ship, the Blooming Days. “Welcome back, Captain Kim Minseok. What are your orders?”

“I need to know where I am, and what happened to my ship!” Minseok barked at the disembodied voice. 

The computer was silent for a moment while it pulled data from the logs. “It appears a rogue asteroid collided with Blooming Days. The ship’s shields held, but the asteroid knocked you off course.”

“How far from Elyxion am I?” 

“Twelve light years.”

_ Twelve fucking light years from home? _“Computer, are you sure that’s correct?”

Again, the voice was silent while the system ran diagnostics. Seconds were hours to Minseok while he waited for a response from his ship. Then, finally, “The calculations are correct. Your current position is twelve light years from the planet Elyxion. What brought you out of your induced slumber, Captain, was not the asteroid, however. You seem to have crash landed on a planet of unknown origin. All readings seem to indicate an atmosphere similar to that of Elyxion, with nearly equal oxygenation and water levels.”

“What the fuck? Planet of unknown origin? How much worse can this mission get?” 

Minseok was not actually expecting an answer, so when his computer did begin speaking, he was momentarily caught off guard. 

“Further analysis does reveal carbon based lifeforms inhabit your current host planet. Extremely large lifeforms, Captain.” The screen in front of him flickered once, and the star charts winked out, before being replaced by the view of one immense, looming, curious, brown eye.

*****

The owner of the large eye, it turned out, was one Kim Junmyeon. He was a science teacher, and was more than ready to believe Minseok‘s tale of interstellar travel once he saw the tiny little being emerge from the shoe box sized ship. 

“Sorry about your window,” Minseok gestured behind himself at his host’s car.

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Junmyeon answered with a smile. “My windshield is easily repaired. Your spaceship, on the other hand…”

It was true. How he was supposed to get off this planet and make it back home was a predicament of monumental proportions. His comms didn’t work, therefore he had no means to contact Baekhyun or anyone back at the lab, and with his gap drive out of commission, his chances for a quick departure were slim to none. 

“Listen, why not stay with me for a few days? My friend Yixing is an aeronautical engineer, and he’s visiting next month. Maybe he can help.”

Junmyeon was very kind, and was doing his best to be helpful, so Minseok refrained from telling him what an utterly ridiculous idea that was. Besides, it wasn’t as though he had any better options. In the meantime, he’d try and work on his communications equipment. With any luck he could make contact with a courier satellite and get a message back home. 

*****

In the days Minseok stayed with Junmyeon, he learned much about his current planet and its inhabitants and history. Junmyeon was an excellent teacher, and he answered all of Minseok’s questions patiently, seemingly delighted to have such an eager pupil. 

And he helped Minseok as much as he could, reading instructions aloud while the tiny person worked on repairing his equipment. It was slow, difficult work, since the manuals Junmyeon found were all Earth books, and some of the components didn’t match up well. 

Something must have gone right though, because on the fourth day, someone answered Minseok’s distress call. 

“Blooming Days captain, identify yourself.”

Junmyeon had been in the middle of drying dishes, and the voice coming out of the ship’s speakers caused him to drop his favorite tea mug on the ceramic tile, where it shattered into dozens of jagged pieces. 

And Minseok, who had been lying on the kitchen windowsill watching his new friend work, nearly tumbled into the dirty dish water. Instead, he managed to right himself at the last second, and grabbed hold of the window blind string. He used it rappel down to the counter, and took a running leap off of it over to the workbench Junmyeon had set up for them to repair the ship.

“Hello? Is anyone there? Baekhyun, is that you?”

“I repeat, captain of the unknown vessel Blooming Days, identify yourself.”

Alarmed, Minseok shut off his broadcasting signal, and stepped outside to look at Junmyeon, who stood stock still, his face having gone pale, eyes wide and almost panicked.

“Uh, Minseok, I don’t think that’s your friend Baekhyun.”

That much was obvious. Which begged the question, who did the voice on the other end of the speaker belong to, and how had they been able to pick up Minseok’s distress call? Were they from Elyxion or Earth? And perhaps most importantly, were they friendly?

Because they could answer none of those questions, they decided it might be best to cease trying to make contact for now, and they both retired that evening with troubled thoughts. 

Minseok lay awake in his bunk aboard Blooming Days, tossing and turning into the early hours of the morning. Receiving a response from a stranger was unsettling to say the least, especially because they did not yet know this person’s intentions. Minseok definitely did not want to cause trouble for Junmyeon, who had been nothing but kind and generous, when he could have easily killed the small being with his shoe on sight!

By morning, Minseok had come to a decision, and while Junmyeon ran around shoving papers in his bag and looking for the lid to his travel mug, the tiny space traveller prepared to break the news. He needed to leave, and he was prepared to ask his tall friend to drive him and his ship somewhere far away. Somewhere the owner of that voice wouldn’t be able to locate him. 

“Listen, Minseok, whatever it is, can it wait until tonight? I’m sorry, but I’m running late and…”

Reluctantly, Minseok agreed to hold off on such a serious conversation until that evening. He felt he owed Junmyeon a proper thank you for his courtesy, even though he knew he could never repay the caring man enough. 

While he was alone, Minseok tried his best to relax. He tried everything from working out, to dancing, to cleaning, the latter proving quite difficult seeing as how he was the size of an average tube of lip tint. 

Finally, in a fit of utter boredom, and against his better judgment, the small space explorer decided to give his comms another try. He took his time powering up his equipment, small, nimble fingers entering passcodes and command sequences from muscle memory. 

Only this time, instead of using his prerecorded distress call, Minseok chose to speak directly. 

“This is Captain Kim Minseok, of the one man exploration vessel Blooming Days. Planet of origin, Elyxion. Does anyone read me?”

There was a moment of silence, two, three. And then his ship’s speakers crackled to life. 

“Captain Kim? Oh thank the gods! Yes, yes, I read you; I’ve only been trying to contact you for the last sixteen Earth hours!”

“Fuck me, are you really from Elyxion? Are you really him? I mean, we’ve all heard the stories, you’re kind of a legend, you know?”

Minseok had begun to think there was someone out there playing a cruel prank on him. Whoever this person was, they weren’t the least bit funny. 

“Ok, listen, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with me, but I can assure you, it’s not going to work. I advise you to stay off of this channel from now on.”

“No, wait! Please, don’t go. There’s things you don’t know, things you won’t be ready to hear for a while yet. For now, can I start over? Please?”

Without even being aware of it, Minseok’s answer fell easily from his lips. “Fine, one chance. If I don’t like what I hear, I will switch frequencies, and this time you won’t be able to patch in.”

“Ahhhhh, yes, thank you, thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me…”

Whoever this person was, they were loud, and easily distracted. But Minseok hadn’t had contact with anyone other than Junmyeon in forever, especially if you counted the time on board Blooming Days. It was hard to stop himself from conversing with the owner of this mysterious voice.

“I’m Kim Jongdae, and I’m a first generation Earther.”

Ears at attention, Minseok questioned, “Wait, what does that mean?” 

“It means I was born here on Earth. My parents settled here from someplace else.”

“Where exactly?”

Kim Jongdae laughed, and Minseok was not too proud to admit he rather liked the full, rich, sound. It made him smile back in return, even though his new acquaintance couldn’t see it. 

“I promise, I’ll tell you more about all that soon. But how about we keep it light for now? Get to know each other, establish a… mutual trust, let’s say?”

“Ok, it’s a deal.”

And so they talked. Minseok learned Jongdae was twenty three, two years younger than he himself was. He had an older brother, and the two of them were quite close. He worked in a communications bunker somewhere underground, and his parents were very important people in their community.

When pressed for more details, though, Jongdae was quick to change the subject, always straying away from serious topics. Minseok, who had never been one to be distracted from his purpose, allowed himself to be steered for the first time in his life. 

He was enjoying the conversation so much that he almost lost track of time, and was startled when he heard the crunch of gravel beneath tires as Junmyeon’s car turned into the drive. 

“Shit! Kim Jongdae, I’ve gotta go!”

The speaker sounded with a whine of protest. “No, not yet! Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Minseok rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “No, you didn’t. This was great. You were great. It’s just, I promised Junmyeon I wouldn’t talk to you again?” he answered, voice rising on the last few words, making it sound more like a question than a fact.

The silence from Jongdae on the other end made Minseok think the other man had disconnected from the link already. Just when he was about to shut off the system, the line crackled once more.

“And Junmyeon is your…?”

“He’s my friend, my human host, my life saver, take your pick. But seriously, I have to go. Tomorrow, okay? Same time?” Not waiting for a response, Minseok severed the link, and powered down, before coming out to greet Junmyeon. 

Needless to say, Junmyeon was not pleased to hear that Minseok had made contact with the stranger from the previous day. “Minseok, you don’t know anything about that man! He could be dangerous. What if he’s from the government? What if they’re trying to track you?”

At his own warning, Junmyeon’s brown eyes went wide, and he shot up out of the recliner like something had burned him. He darted around the house in a panic, locking all the windows and drawing the curtains shut. 

“Maybe we should think about hiding your ship in the basement? No, if they’ve traced your signal they’ll be able to find you. Maybe I could bring you to school with me? No, no that won’t work. Sehun and Jongin would find you, nothing but trouble, those two…” He continued muttering as he ran his fingers through his soft, brown hair.

Minseok had to shout to be heard. “Junmyeon, it’s fine. I don’t think he means me any harm. He was friendly, and I really want to keep talking to him.”

Junmyeon threw himself on the recliner with a sigh. “All right, all right. I can’t help worrying, but you can make your own choices. You’re a grown man, after all. Or well, as grown as you can be, I suppose. No offense.”

“Look who’s talking! From what you’ve told me, you’re not very tall for a human yourself!”

Laughing at each other, they decided to see how things went with this Jongdae for a bit, and the subject of leaving was all but discarded. Minseok went to his bunk that night with a fluttery feeling in his stomach he couldn’t quite name. 

The following morning, as soon as his human was out the door, Minseok seated himself at his command board, a few muffins crumbles on a stray piece of napkin at his side. His impatience was on full display as he waited for his ship to finish powering up, and for his comms to come online. What if his new friend didn’t answer him? What if he had found something else to interest him, or had gotten cold feet about this getting to know one another thing? 

Swallowing hard, Minseok tucked away his nerves and tried for light as he spoke into the system. “Captain Kim Minseok, of the vessel Blooming Days. Kim Jongdae, do you copy?”

He waited, his heart beating a frantic rhythm against his ribs, mouth dry and fingers twitchy. Unsure of what to do with himself, Minseok hummed a soft tune to pass the time. He didn’t know the lyrics, it was just some song Junmyeon had let play on his phone one day as they had worked. But Jongdae knew it, apparently, since suddenly the comms were filled with the sweetest voice Minseok had ever heard.

“_ The small fluttering of your wings seemed like it was telling me to follow you _…”

Minseok listened in silence, pink lips parted with awe as Jongdae sang. He wasn’t able to concentrate on all the words, but the rise and fall of the melody was bewitching, and when the song finally ended, he couldn’t stop himself. 

“Wahhhh, Kim Jongdae!” Minseok clapped his tiny hands together and cheered loudly. “You’re amazing!” His precious gummy smile threatened to take over his whole face with how wide he was beaming at his speakers. 

“Heh,” Jongdae responded with a small, self deprecating huff. “Thanks, I’m okay, I guess.”

“Okay? Are you serious ? Your voice is on its own level! You should be proud of it, really.”

“Thank you,” Jongdae answered this time, sounding slightly embarrassed. “I just really love that song.”

Minseok laughed, a bright, high laugh like the sweetest birdsong on a clear spring day.

“What’s it called?”

“Don’t Go. I mean, that’s the title. Not like I’m telling you not to go. You can if you want to.”

“You want me to sign off, and then?” Minseok teased. Even through the tinny speaker system, he could hear how flustered Jongdae sounded, and he couldn’t help but to mess with the younger man just a bit.

“No! Stay, talk to me! You left so suddenly last night, cut me off with my words still in my mouth as soon as that Junmyeon human came home!”

Minseok did have to acknowledge that, but he’d wanted to talk to Junmyeon first, give him an explanation for his actions. It took some time to convince Jongdae that yes, he did very much want to continue their conversations, and that no, there would be no more “hanging up” on him, as Jongdae called it.

And so they talked the day away, falling into an easy back and forth as though they had known each other for years. 

This time, Minseok learned that Jongdae really loved to sing, and before he had picked up the distress call, he’d spent his days composing music and writing song lyrics. Dancing wasn’t much his thing, but it didn’t mean he was bad at it, and he called his skills passable.

They were both bad at cooking, it seemed, and Minseok grudgingly confessed that he didn’t actually know what the inside of a real grocery store looked like, generally preferring to buy most of his pre-cooked meals from a convenience store. Jongdae, on the other hand enjoyed home cooked food more, and he swore up and down that his father’s meals were good enough to win any cooking competition, hands down.

“I wish I could have you over for dinner, Minseok,” Jongdae sighed. 

Feeling mischievous, Minseok decided to take a chance and tease Jongdae some more. “It’s a little early in our relationship for you to be asking me out on a date. But ask me again in a few weeks and we’ll see.”

Jongdae spluttered at that, and Minseok heard what suspiciously sounded like someone falling out of a chair. The signal went dead for a moment, before coming back, Jongdae loudly exclaiming everything was fine and not to worry about him.

By the time Junmyeon came home that evening, Minseok felt like he’d found a new friend in Jongdae. He talked about him all through dinner, and more than once, he caught Junmyeon looking at him with a half smile on his handsome face, and a knowing look in his eye. Which naturally, Minseok chose to blatantly ignore. 

Over the next week or so, Minseok and Jongdae fell into an easy routine, talking to each other all day, while Junmyeon was at work. Once or twice, he even managed to get his younger friend to sing to him again, always something different, but always equally lovely. 

They learned more about each other, favorite colors, what made the other happy, what caused them pain. Jongdae consoled Minseok when he talked about missing his home, his friends, even Baekhyun, _especially_ him. 

With the amount of time they spent together daily, Minseok found himself wondering exactly what it was Jongdae did for a living. What kind of job did Jongdae actually have that allowed to converse for hours on end with a virtual stranger? But maybe even more present, was the question of what Jongdae looked like. He’d admitted to not being human, but that didn’t answer the most important questions. Did he resemble a human? Was he tall, like they were? Or was he more like Minseok’s size? 

One day, after some insistent questions from Minseok, Jongdae acquiesced. “I guess we’ve been talking long enough. It’s time I tell you some truths. But first, ask Junmyeon if we can use his phone tomorrow.” 

Jongdae said he knew of a way to hack into Junmyeon’s network to make a video call. Minseok didn’t really understand the specifics; all he knew was that if his human friend agreed, he would soon be able to see Jongdae’s face. 

Saturday morning, Minseok wasted no time in rousing Junmyeon from his usual weekend lay in by scaling the man’s bedside table and stomping forcefully on the remote control. Junmyeon’s blessed sleep was blasted away by the sounds of whatever Netflix show had been queued up next; blankets went flying as he scrambled around trying to turn off his television, just narrowly avoiding knocking Minseok to the ground. 

Breakfast was a hurried affair, since the small visitor could scarcely bring himself to eat, the nerves giving his stomach a strange, jittery feeling. Minseok dressed himself in his best uniform, the dark blue one with the tapered waist. Junmyeon gave him a minuscule, bead sized drop of hair glue, and instructed him on how to use it. As a finishing touch, he allowed Minseok to press a tiny kiss to his tinted lip balm, making his pretty, full bottom lip stand out in the most delightful way.

Junmyeon’s iPhone placed upright on the workbench, ship powered up, Minseok pressed the sequence of keys to activate his comms. 

“Jongdae, are you there? I’ve got permission to use the phone.” Minseok blushed as he said that, knowing he sounded like a lovesick schoolboy calling his crush for the first time. 

“Hey Minnie, I’m here. Give me a second to patch into his number.”

Time inside the cozy little house stood still; Minseok watched as raindrops fell from the sky to land on the window to form intricate patterns on the glass. He patted himself down, searching for imperfections in his appearance, even though Junmyeon had assured him he looked like a whole, albeit tiny meal, whatever that meant.

Before he could work himself into a near panic attack, though, the phone let out a high pitched screech, and suddenly on the screen was the most stunning man Minseok had ever seen in all his years. He wore a smile that turned up at the corners, and his dark, almond shaped eyes glittered like precious gemstones. He had wavy, chestnut colored hair that parted down the middle, framing high, sculpted cheekbones, and a tapered, chiseled jawline that caused Minseok’s heart to stutter in his chest. 

His skin was clear, with a golden complexion that made him look as though he had been blessed by the Sun King himself, such a mirrored contrast to Minseok’s own fair, ethereal coloring and pale, silvery locks. Sunbeam and moon dust, spring blossoms and winter snowflakes. Minseok had never considered himself the romantic type, but then again, he’d never seen anyone as beautiful as Jongdae. 

“Minseok? Whoa, you look just like I knew you would! I just… wow, fuck me.” Jongdae’s ears turned pink.

“Wait, not like _ that! _Not that you’re not totally and completely fu..., um, or, not that I don’t… huh, shit. Okay, from the top. Or not, or, oh hell!” 

It was too cute, and Minseok could have listened to Jongdae blunder on all day; could have watched those cheeks flush deeper as the seconds ticked by. Junmyeon, though, obviously did not find the other man’s display to be nearly as endearing.

“All right, very well. I’ll leave you two alone now. Minseok, remember what we discussed?”

The small man nodded, and made a shooting motion with his hands. He waited until he heard Junmyeon’s footsteps heading up the stairs before he turned back to the screen.

“Yah, Kim Jongdae!” he called.

“Hi,” Jongdae sighed. “It’s really good to meet you, Kim Minseok.”

“No, the pleasure is all mine, believe me,” Minseok answered with a grin. “But come on, first names, okay? No need to be so formal.”

And when Jongdae laughed, loud and open mouthed and unrestrained, Minseok fell just a little bit deeper in love. 

*****

“So, I have to show you something. Just, promise not to freak out,” Jongdae blurted, after they’d been talking nearly an hour.

Suddenly, the screen moved out of focus, before righting itself once more. Jongdae stood in center frame, left arm extended, vertically holding a pencil that was considerably taller than he was himself.

“Um, hey,” he waved with his right hand. “Surprise! We’re uh, about the same height.”

“How is this possible?” Minseok breathed. 

“We’re the same. I told you I’m an Earther. But what I didn’t mention was that my parents are from Elyxion. I didn’t know how to tell you, and I needed to be sure you’d believe me.”

“Tell me everything, Jongdae. Now.”

And so Jongdae talked, while Minseok fought hard not to interrupt. Even when he felt like he might be ill, he forced himself to sit and listen while his own story was told to him.

Twenty five years ago, Kim Minseok and his exploration vessel Blooming Days had gone missing en route back to his home planet from a mission to find a planet capable of sustaining life. Elyxion was overpopulated, and resources were dwindling. In all their infinite wisdom, the powers that be had thought colonization would be the answer to all their problems. The planet’s leading scientists and scholars had gotten together and sent out missions to some of the farthest corners of the universe, hoping to find a place to make their new home.

One of those intrepid young men had been Minseok. And while all of the other explorers had returned with nothing to show for it, Minseok’s ship had not made it back at all. Utilizing newly invented space gap drive technology, the trip should have taken a few weeks at most. But months went by, and still Minseok remained absent.

His best friend, Byun Baekhyun, was tireless in his search, convinced that Minseok was still alive, despite the whole scientific community telling him to give up. And three months after his scheduled return date, Baekhyun’s persistence paid off. From a pirated signal somewhere in the vicinity of a massive star, he was able to pick up the last transmission from Blooming Days. The data he received told him Minseok’s ship had indeed located a planet suitable for colonizing, but it was unclear if Minseok had made first contact or not.

The small glimmer of hope though, was enough to get the Space Coalition to authorize an expedition. Two hundred fifty people were packed into a star cruiser, with orders to attempt to build a settlement on the third planet orbiting the aforementioned star, Baekhyun, and Jongdae’s parents and his infant brother among them. 

A quarter of a century later, and the Elyxion people had carved out a life for themselves underground, hidden away from the eyes of the planet’s original inhabitants, humans. With more settlers arriving each year, they now numbered in the thousands. No further sign of Minseok or Blooming Days had been found since, and it was widely assumed he had perished. He was however, hailed as a hero, and first generation Earthers had been raised hearing of his bravery, Jongdae included. 

All that had changed though, on the night Jongdae had picked up a weak broadcast from someone claiming to be the captain of the missing Blooming Days. At first, he had thought it was a prank, and only after he had brought in a fifty year old Byun Baekhyun to authenticate the message had the full truth come to light. 

“You were lost in orbit somewhere, frozen in your cryo tank for twenty five years. Life went on without you, and none of us had a clue. You were my hero though, you made this life possible. I loved what you stood for, and I think I loved you for your sacrifice.”

“But now, Minseok, I… now that I know you, I think I love you. Not this larger than life personality. Not the savior of the Elyxion way of life. But you, the nerdy guy who gets excited talking about technology and inventions. The guy who sings along with me just because I ask him to, even though he thinks his voice is weak. The clean freak who can’t stand not being able to hold a feather duster because it’s bigger than he is. Just you.”

Minseok didn’t know what to say, or how he should respond. It was all too much; everything he’d ever known had been called into question, and he was lost in the cold nothingness, as adrift as he had been for half of his life, apparently.

“Jongdae, you should have told me. From the very start. It was cruel of you to keep my truth hidden.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jongdae whispered brokenly. 

When Minseok looked at Jongdae, he saw tears slipping down his face, tracing the angular curve of his jaw to drip down onto his chest. He wished Jongdae would stop, because part of him ached to comfort the man he had come to care so much about, while another part of him wanted to rage and roar for that same man’s deception.

“I wanted to tell you so many times, but Baekhyun said it was better this way. And he’s the only one in the world who knew you before, so I trusted him.” 

After a pause, he continued. “He’s here, you know. Waiting outside to talk to you.”

Jongdae was still standing there, holding that ridiculously oversized pencil, and Minseok broke. 

“Baekhyun’s there? I need to see him, Jongdae, please!”

Jongdae nodded solemnly, and walked towards a door behind him that Minseok hadn’t noticed before. 

The man who walked in looked like Baekhyun, but his hair was now dotted with grey, and his cheeks had lost much of the roundness of youth. He had a few wrinkles on his forehead, which was slightly more prominent than Minseok remembered. 

But his eyes still sparkled with the same mischievous glint they always had. When Minseok saw those eyes fix on him, with the same charming smile he’d always known, he dropped to his knees and cried.

“Baekhyun, shit it’s really you! Fuck, I’ve missed you so much. I never thought I would see you again…”

The older man was crying, too, no longer caring how it made his cheeks and eyes puffy, or how the tears turned his nose red. “Minseokie, oh my gods, I’m so sorry! I swear I never stopped looking for you. I knew I’d find you one day.”

The two old friends cried, Minseok’s small hands pressed to the glass screen as though he could pull Baekhyun through the line to him. The years and the distance melted away between them, and they were two eager, bright, young men again. Sometime during their tearful, ecstatic reunion, Jongdae slipped away unseen. 

“I guess technically, I didn’t find you, though. Your signal found us, and when the kid came to me, I thought he was out of his fucking skull, ya know?” Baekhyun laughed humorlessly. 

“Didn’t even wanna give his little discovery the time of day. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and well, his mother is the prime minister for our settlement, so I kind of had no choice.”

“For what it’s worth, Minseok, I really do think he’s fallen in love with you. And something tells me the feeling is mutual, am I right?”

Minseok’s mouth fell open. “Hey, what do you know about it? I swear, I’ll smack you!” He jabbed his fist at the screen and narrowed his eyes, while Baekhyun threw himself back in his chair and cackled, hands holding onto his stomach. He looked so much like his younger self that Minseok had to smile in return. Some things never changed, it would seem.

“Oh Minseokie, did you really think those conversations would be private with me around? I picked up on all your attempts at flirting with that infant, you cradle robber. You’re not as subtle as you think, my friend.”

“I’m only twenty five, you hear? Not my fault I still have youth and beauty on my side. Minseok answered with a cheeky smile. He hesitated a moment, and swallowed hard. “Baekhyun, I need some time, okay? This… this is a lot to take in. Can you ask him not to try and contact me for now? Please?”

“I think you’re making a mistake, old friend,” Baekhyun muttered. “But I owe you this much, at least. Just don’t take too long to get your shit together.”

*****

It took all of three days of Minseok moping around for Junmyeon to give him an ultimatum. “I swear Minseok, you are like the world’s most ill-tempered faerie! I’ve had enough of you feeling sorry for yourself. You lost twenty five years of your life. Do you really want to waste one more day? Either you contact Jongdae, or I will!”

“You would not!” Minseok shouted at the top of his tiny lungs. “And you couldn’t get your fat hands to fit inside my ship even if you tried!”

“Hey, you evil little pixie!” Junmyeon threw a wadded up napkin at the coffee table Minseok was sprawled on, which the small traveler dodged easily. 

“Your aim sucks, you know?” Minseok groused as he jumped from the table down to the throw pillow they had set up for just this purpose. “Take me to my ship, I’m tired.”

Reluctantly, his giant host pushed himself off the couch and carried Minseok’s pillow to the workbench and the Blooming Days. As he set him down, he fixed Minseok with a meaningful stare. “I’m serious though, Minseok.”

“I know, I heard you. Tomorrow night, okay?” he replied with a roll of his light blue eyes. 

Hours passed and Minseok lay awake in his bunk. He hated to admit it, but Junmyeon and Baekhyun were both right. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t blame what had happened to him on anyone, and certainly not on Jongdae. Besides, Minseok missed him more than he ever thought he could miss someone. His days were cold and dark without the warmth and sunlight Jongdae brought to his life. 

He knew what he had to do, now. Resolved, Minseok closed his eyes and let sleep wrap her arms around him, a final prayer whispered into the night that Jongdae would be willing to hear him. 

When morning arrived, Minseok begged Junmyeon to leave his tablet home. “For science,” he’d answered vaguely when his friend questioned him.

Junmyeon looked skeptical, but agreed anyway, as long as it would keep Minseok from continuing his pity party. 

For the rest of the day Minseok practiced, going over and over the words he had looked up online until he was sure it was perfect. He swayed and turned, and waved his hands in the air, determined to give it his best, as Jongdae deserved no less. He lost himself in the emotion, letting it take him where it would, hoping the man he loved would recognize it for what it was. 

By the time Junmyeon came home, Minseok was ready. He’d been brave enough once to face the unknown, surely he could do the same again, this time with something even more important at stake. 

With the iPhone set up on its holder, screen still dark and empty, Minseok powered up his ship and signed on to his communications line. He didn’t want to see if the light indicating Jongdae was connected came on or not, so instead he hopped back outside to stand in front of the mobile. From the living room, Junmyeon set his tablet to play, and a sweet tune filled the silence. 

Minseok closed his eyes, and began to sing,“_ The small fluttering of your wings seemed like it was telling me to follow you… _” 

He moved gracefully, arms circling in time with the music, hips swaying as he poured his soul into his song. “_Guide me yeah, take me together with you to the place where you live.”_

If Jongdae was listening, Minseok wanted there to be no doubt in the other man’s mind what this meant. “_Wherever you came from, or wherever you’re going, up until now you always kindly greet me _…”

He danced, something he hadn’t done in so long, and his voice was high and clear, like the whisper of butterfly wings in springtime. And somewhere along the way, the phone screen lit up, and another voice joined his. 

“_Even if we wander in unfamiliar places, even if we get lost, I’ll follow my heart that’s more honest than anyone else’s.” _

_ “Take me yeah, take me together with you to the place where you live. Oh, even if the world ends, I’ll follow you. Oh no, don’t go out of my sight… _”

When the last note faded away, Minseok opened his teary eyes to see Jongdae on the other side of the glass. He tried to catch his breath, needing Jongdae to understand.

“Minnie, that was-”

“It’s your favorite song,” Minseok interrupted, brushing his tears away and setting his shoulders. “I thought it was fitting for what I’m trying to say.”

“And what is that?” Jongdae replied with a swallow. 

“That I can’t get my past back, but I can give you my future. I love you, Jongdae, and if you’ll let me, I will spend every day from here to the end of the world proving it to you.”

Jongdae laughed through his tears. “Yes, of course I’ll let you, you perfect dork! I love you, too! Will you come and live with me, with the rest of our people? Forever?”

Minseok nodded giddily. “Even if the world ends, I’ll follow you.”

“About fucking time!” came the sound of Baekhyun’s shriek. 

The door behind Jongdae burst open, and in barged the man himself, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey, call that sweet, young Jyunmeon of yours over, we have an Elyxion wedding to plan!”

Minseok groaned, and Jongdae attempted to shove Baekhyun back the way he had come. The elder refused to budge, however, and soon the trio became a quartet when the only human in the bunch joined in. 

There was still so much to work on, but Minseok and Jongdae knew they had the rest of their lives to figure it out. And if the lone explorer had been lost before, it was only because he had needed to be found, by this man, in this time. Heart full of love and happiness, Minseok closed his eyes, and thanked his unlucky stars.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you couldn’t tell, Minseokie’s goodbye performance of Don’t Go made me break down and cry. He looked like the sweetest little fairy, and he poured so much of his heart into it that I had to include it here. 
> 
> This was great fun to write! Although I’ve just started writing EXO, I’ve been a reader for quite some time. There are some amazing authors out there, and while this can’t possibly measure up, I do hope you’ve enjoyed it. Please leave a comment if you liked it, and i promise to answer you all back!


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